The flood waters of the Yangtze River have peaked and peacefully passed central China's Hubei Province, sources with the provincial flood control headquarters said.

After a more than 20 hour emergency, the dangerously high water level at Wuhan receded to less than half meter above the danger line Tuesday morning. The headquarters predicted the level will drop to under the warning line.

Other parts of the Yangtze and its tributaries in the province are reported to be safe.

However, experts from the headquarters warned the water level will remain high until the middle of September. The dykes have immersed in water for a long time and newly constructed parts are not exempt from trouble.

An army of 200,000 people, including police and soldiers, have been battling the floods in this province and they will remain on their posts, said the provincial government.

The province was threatened by floods in 1998 and sustained heavy losses.

(Xinhua News Agency August 27, 2002)